During the burning of Ravan, I was tense and very aware of sense of space. The crowds were thick and they had a more rambunctious feeling than most we have experienced. It was also a loving crowd. There was a sense of community building and appreciation for a common spectacle.

This statue is worlds largest Nandi Bull. These fertility bulls always overlook the Shiva Linga which is a representation of Shiva's masculinity and femininity. He is overlooking the Shiva Linga of the Vijayanagar. It is said that if you circle this bull 6 times then you become so fertile that the next time you try for children, you become immediately pregnant. Alicia and I circled this bull 5 times. It was nice enough as a stroll but not taking any chances.

This picture was taken of my host family's daughter's school book. I spent the majority of my time in Varanasi studying environmental education in India. I thought this table of contents was interesting because it shows the breadth of topics that the children are learning.

It was difficult taking pictures that pertained to my topic because I worked almost exclusively with children every day and you cannot put up pictures of kids. So i took a picture of the classroom where i conducted my environmental survey to the children. There are always two classes going on at once with two teachers so it was definitely a challenge getting all their attention in that small upper room.

This is a photo of Katie Jo Walter walking into Nirman school. Nirman means construction which was always funny because the school was under construction the entire time we stayed there. Slowly they implemented serene sitting areas out in nature. The students are taught to go out and observe nature.